Help those who need it most and be there for them - this rule of St. Benedict is a central part of life in Ettal Abbey.
Appropriately, the monks have now taken in refugees who have escaped the terrible war in Ukraine.
14 have been there since Tuesday, and the monastery can accommodate up to 50 people.
Ettal
- It's a scenario that nobody in Europe wanted to experience again.
Bombed cities, thousands of dead people and unspeakable suffering.
Nothing has been the same since Russian President Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine three weeks ago.
More and more people not only have to fear for their safety and their belongings, but also for their own lives and the lives of their children.
There is often only one choice: to flee.
Around four million refugees are expected worldwide, and around 190,000 have arrived in Germany so far.
These include the Mukhomorova and Botvinieva families, who have found a new home in Ettal Abbey, at least for a while – and, above all, security.
"The families come from Charkiv and Kyiv, and people from all over Ukraine are expected in the coming weeks," says Florian Bauer, spokesman for the monastery.
They all have one thing in common: they had to give up their homeland because of the war, because of the unbelievable violence.
Konstiantyn Botvinieva was away with his loved ones for almost two weeks.
He, his wife Viktoria and aunt Svitlana packed their belongings with their children Mykola (2), Ivan (7) and Yelyzaveta (10) about two weeks ago as quickly as possible and set off – into the unknown.
For a long time they didn't know where they landed.
"Just gone, we didn't want our children to have to experience this war," says the father of three.
They slept in cars, in completely overcrowded accommodations and stood at the borders for hours.
"It was terrible.
Small children can laugh again, to everyone's delight
They have been staying at the monastery since Tuesday.
In the former boarding school, the monks and staff have created space for refugees from Ukraine.
"That's a concern for everyone," emphasizes Bauer.
Families, especially children, enrich monastery life.
The monastery spokesman calls it “refreshing”.
The very little ones in particular, in addition to the two-year-old Mykola, he counts the four-month-old Denis Mukhomorova and his four-year-old brother Yan, have not yet noticed too much of the turmoil of war in their homeland.
Luckily.
"They laugh a lot, the monks are blown away."
The Botvinievas and the other Ukrainians are housed in their own wing.
They are still fed by the monastery, or at the weekend by the Hotel Ludwig der Bayer.
"But you wished you could cook for yourself," says Bauer.
Of course we are happy to allow them to do that.
Ukrainian women fear for their husbands and other relatives
"It is unbelievable for us that we are allowed to live here and that we are shown such charity," emphasizes Konstiantyn Botvinieva.
"Our thanks cannot be put into words!" Already on Wednesday his children were able to take part in school sports at the Benedictine day-care center in Ettal.
In order to get involved, the father gives a lot of help and supports the monastery employees in preparing the premises.
Lilia Mukhomorova also lived in the monastery with her mother Svitlana and her sons Yan and Denis.
Their husbands had to stay in the Ukraine, and the women fear for them and their other relatives every day.
They try to keep in touch via the internet as best they can.
"It's not easy," says Lilia Mukhomorova.
"But we are strong for the children." The families, Ettal reached another one on Wednesday evening, "can now relax in peace from the hardships of the past few weeks," emphasizes Bauer.
A moving scene for visitors to the Ettal Basilica
In the monastery there is great sympathy with the people from Ukraine.
"For us, it goes without saying that we take them in," emphasizes Abbot Barnabas Bögle.
"I am grateful to our employees and my confreres, who are committed to helping the guests who have had a difficult flight." This also applies to the people in the region, who immediately offered their help.
One scene in particular stuck in his memory: “It was very moving when we stood in front of the miraculous image in the basilica with the first group on Wednesday and prayed there together.
Our guests have entrusted the whole need of their homeland to the Blessed Mother.”
Ettal Abbey showed its sympathy last week with a prayer for peace for Ukraine, during which the basilica was also illuminated in its national colors of yellow and blue (we reported). A Ukrainian flag with a peace dove has recently also been hanging on the site.
For Father Johannes Bauer, the cellarer of the monastery, taking in Ukrainian refugees is also a matter of course: "We help where we can." immediately agreed to accommodate people here".
He is pleased about the support of business partners and private individuals.
"It is a powerful sign that humanity will conquer the folly of violence."